And watch the minutes pass by.

My watch has been dying, and I finally know why!

I pull out a game, it’s Rat-a-tat-cat!

My favorite! I think,

It looks brand new!

I guess that’s my queue!

We play a few rounds

The final score was 3 to 2

We play one more round

She got all zeros!

Passing the minutes one by one.

We for sure had a lot of fun!

Before slamming the door in a loving way.

I then check to see if the front door is open.

It never is,

I go around the side, and walk up the concrete ramp leading to the massive wooden doors.

As I pass a window, I see my entire cast hanging out.

I enter the doors and I’m greeted with jokes and fun.

I haven’t seen them in a month but it feels like forever.

As our directors call everyone in,

We start with passing the pulse, a tradition we do every time.

Then we always play a couple rounds of a game we vote on.

My favorite’s called Panic, and as I’m writing this,

I’m currently touching the ground with three limbs.

If you aren’t too, then you're out.

This game is fast moving, stealthy, and fun.

Two claps, and I’m typing with both hands again.

We find out that our play is called “Losing Eden”,

A sentimental, bittersweet play about a baby food factory.

It may sound strange but we know it will be fun.

When rehearsal’s over, I’m already looking forward to next week’s.

We pass the houses.

All perfectly different from one another.

We drive past the Elliot School,

A place I’ve made so many memories in,

Year after year.

Where I learned to sew, and be creative.

Where I enjoyed my best friend's company.

My best friend, who moved across the country.

And who I rarely see anymore.

I pass the graveyard where I run past at night because I’m scared of ghosts.

And finally, we stop at the Footlight Club

My second home,

And the place where all my friends are waiting for me.

We are all so different,

And yet, this place has brought us all together,

It’s the place where we’ve gotten our scripts,

Play after play.

Where we’ve practiced week after week,

Until we finally get to tech week,

The week where the magic happens

Leading up to the play,

We are all someone else for a night,

Some character we’ve grown to know,

Through the Footlight Club, we’ve all learned and grown so much.

Until we reach the back entrance,

I catch the aroma of novels and verses

Floating around the shop.

Though there may be Caffe’s alike all around the world,

This Nero will always bring me so much joy.

As we walk towards the front of the large room,

I notice my long term friend from the Footlight Club

Sitting peacefully in one of the small booths,

Wearing their normal attire.

Headphones, around their shoulders,

And a cool sweatshirt that completes their outfit perfectly

As I order my new regular, a strawberry dragonfruit refresher,

I look around the shop and notice how special this place is.

Every person looks happy and content,

Reading, working, or just happily enjoying one another’s company.

The feel I get every time I’m in here is magical and one of a kind.

A feeling no other place in the world can replicate.

I’m so lost in my own world,

that I hadn’t realized that my drink had come and that it was already 4:28.

If I didn’t leave now,

I would for sure be late to my rehearsal.

She’s getting here late!

I know, I’m not mad,

Just upset about my fate.

Everyone will be there.

I’ll be the last to arrive.

I hope they don’t care!

It’s not even a long drive.

Finally! She’s here, I tell Ms. Stanley,

And get my butt outta’ here!

Oops! It’s 4:25, and we got here just fine!

We’re actually right on time!

We are sitting on Elliot St.

In front of my destination,

Where I’m locked out.

I loop around the side of the theater,

No one’s there.

I hop back in the car and we form an Action Plan to drive to Nero.

An Action Plan just like Norbert’s.

As we walk toward Nero,

I saw my friend Elliot, who had lots of experience with Action Plans.

In our bright, flashy, relatable last play.

When I walk inside the Footlight Club today,

I’ll see a whole new crew of faces.

Some new, most old.

When we get to Nero, 

I order a new drink than I’ve ever had before,

One that turns into my regular, so now I never have to explore.

It’s now 4:26, and I know for a fact that the doors will be open wide.

I’m excited to see one of my friends, 

Who’s hair is freshly dyed!

As we leave Nero, a book catches my eye,

How to Save the World in Ten Easy Steps, 

That sounds vaguely familiar, 

But it’s probably just my imagination…

The one that I always spill water on,

But it feels like an amusement park ride,

I’m eating veggie sushi, that comes in packs of nine,

The kind we get from Trader Joe’s,

The kind that has carrots, cuces, and avocado alike.

It’s covered in seaweed, sticky rice, and sesame seeds.

As we bump down the road, 

My mom retorts something about how much she hates this road.

I can’t stop smiling.

We are sitting on Elliot St.

In front of my destination,

Where I’m locked out.

I loop around the side of the theater,

No one’s there.

I hop back in the car and we form an Action Plan to drive to Nero.

An Action Plan just like Norbert’s.

As we walk toward Nero,

I saw my friend Elliot, who had lots of experience with Action Plans.

In our bright, flashy, relatable last play.

When I walk inside the Footlight Club today,

I’ll see a whole new crew of faces.

Some new, most old.

When we get to Nero, 

I order a new drink than I’ve ever had before,

One that turns into my regular, so now I never have to explore.

It’s now 4:26, and I know for a fact that the doors will be open wide.

I’m excited to see one of my friends, 

Who’s hair is freshly dyed!

As we leave Nero, a book catches my eye,

How to Save the World in Ten Easy Steps, 

That sounds vaguely familiar, 

But it’s probably just my imagination…